Development of conductive thermoplastic elastomer blend nanocomposites for enhanced electromagnetic interference shielding in modern electronics

Abstract

Conductive thermoplastic elastomer (TPE) nanocomposites are increasingly critical for modern electronics, combining mechanical reinforcement, electrical conductivity, and effective electromagnetic interference (EMI) shielding. This study explores a novel EPDM/HDPE blend reinforced with Vulcan XC-72 conductive carbon black (VCB) to create high-performance nanocomposites. Prepared via melt mixing, these composites exhibit uniform VCB dispersion and robust conductive networks. A percolation threshold at 20 wt% VCB enables a significant increase in DC conductivity from 10⁻¹² S/cm to 0.03 S/cm at 40 wt% VCB. Mechanical properties also improve, with tensile strength and modulus increasing by 26.42 % and 30.44 %, respectively, at minimal filler concentrations. Thermal stability is enhanced, with VCB delaying oxidative degradation and maintaining structural integrity up to 30 wt%. In EMI shielding, the composites achieve shielding effectiveness of −26.8 dB and −29.5 dB in the X- and Ku-bands, respectively, at 40 wt% VCB. The shielding mechanism more absorption dominated as VCB forms continuous conductive pathways, ensuring superior electromagnetic wave attenuation. These results establish EPDM/HDPE/VCB nanocomposites as lightweight, flexible, and cost-effective materials for advanced EMI shielding and multifunctional applications, meeting the demands of modern communication and electronic devices.